VIJAYAWADA : The election of the chairperson of the fifth ward committee of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Friday witnessed some drama, and Ch. Babu Rao, floor leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the VMC general body, emerged winner at the end of draw of lots.

Though the TDP threw its weight behind him, it proved inadequate as the Congress candidate and he ended with an equal score of five votes each. This particular election attracted the attention of many, as the Congress invited the TDP to "become partner in the development of the city" and offered to help its candidate get elected. The ward committee, which has a strength of eleven corporators, includes important and senior political leaders of the city like Mr. Babu Rao, TDP floor leader Y. Ramana Rao, Congress heavyweights Samanthapudi Narasaraju and Sistla Ramalingamurthy. The TDP and the CPI (M) have three corporators each, while the Congress and the CPI have in between them five corporators.

The TDP, after rejecting the invitation of the Congress, opted to sail with the CPI (M), like it did last year. The Congress reviewed the situation and decided to field its own candidate.The TDP-CPI (M) combine fielded Mr. Babu Rao while the Congress-CPI combine fielded Akula Kiran Kumar as their candidates. The election took an unexpected turn when assistant commissioner and returning officer Lalithamba disqualified TDP corporator B.S.V. Jana Reddy from taking part in the voting on the grounds that he had come to election centre after the stipulated entry time. This led to Mr. Kiran Kumar and Mr. Babu Rao polling five votes each in the secret ballot. The election was completed after draw of lots as per the rules.

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